


here we go kentucky

by soulfriend



Category: New Mutants (Comics), X-Force (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, bringing the bf home for the holidays, but theres nothing actually holiday related in this, general softness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28053705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulfriend/pseuds/soulfriend
Summary: Sam brings Roberto home for the holidays and decides to show him his favorite things about his hometown.
Relationships: Roberto da Costa/Sam Guthrie
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	here we go kentucky

It wasn’t the first time Roberto had been to the Guthrie farmhouse, but it was the first time Sam had brought him home for the holidays. Roberto usually spent his breaks from mutant mayhem with his father, but he had since passed away after entangling himself with the Hellfire Club and Gideon. Roberto was also no longer being tortured and experimented on like he had been the last time the holidays rolled around, which was a plus.

It was also the first year he happened to be dating Sam.

Roberto stepped onto the porch and shivered upon breathing in the crisp Kentucky air. Despite having lived in New York for the latter part of his teenage years, he still wasn’t quite used to the biting cold that came with the winter months in most of America.

Right before the door closed, Sam turned around next to him, leaning his head into the house. “Bye, Ma, me’n ‘Berto are heading out!”

Sam’s mother replied with something unintelligible. Sam gave Roberto a long look, as if he was considering going inside to hear what she’d said. After a few seconds, he shrugged and closed the door. Roberto snorted.

“She was probably just telling us to stay safe and not get killed by an axe murderer in the woods,” Sam said, smirking and waving his hand dismissively. “We’ll be fine.”

He led Roberto to an old blue pickup truck parked around the side of the house. A small dent decorated the side of the bed, and it was spotted with a reddish grey where the paint was falling off. Roberto hesitated before pulling on the door handle, trying to avoid the rust. Sam smirked as he gingerly climbed into the passenger seat.

“This ol' rust bucket still works just fine, don’t you worry,” Sam said, patting him on the arm in a jokingly reassuring way. Sam turned the key, and the engine gave a sound like a lawnmower going over a stick. It soon calmed to a rumble that even Roberto had to admit was endearing.

“This was my dad’s truck,” Sam said softly. He gave the dusty dashboard an affectionate pat, a reminiscent look in his eyes. “He used to have a really nice vintage Chevy. Used to sit in it when he’d get home from work late and listen to baseball games on the radio. Ended up having to sell it, though.”

“I’m sorry,” Roberto said. He hoped that was enough; he always felt a little awkward when faced with the harsh reality that, despite how close they were now, his and Sam’s upbringings had been very, very different. The worlds they’d grown up in were similar only in that they had both been born on planet Earth.

“It’s okay,” Sam said with a sigh. “It was just a car. Not that important, in the grand scheme of things.”

And with all that the both of them had been through, Roberto supposed he was right.

As Sam took the truck down the long driveway, Roberto asked, "So where are we going first, _meu amor_?"

"Figured I'd take you to the diner in town," Sam said. "Best pancakes in Kentucky. Besides my ma's, of course."

Roberto smiled. Even though Sam loved a good adventure, he could tell how much he had missed his hometown. Roberto reached over to where Sam's right hand was resting on the worn steering wheel, ghosting it with the back of his left; Sam took it, smiling that bashful smile of his, the one where his blush tinted the tips of his ears.

He was beautiful.

They soon reached what Sam called "town," which pretty much consisted of a single street. Okay, maybe two. Roberto found himself wondering how Sam had been able to live here for fifteen years straight and not go insane, let alone long to come back after having been to other dimensions and goddamn _space_.

“Hey,” Sam said, once they were parked. “We probably shouldn’t do this--” he held up their joined hands-- “in town. The people here… just… y’know.” He looked away ashamedly.

“It’s okay,” Roberto murmured, even though they both knew it really wasn’t. He ran his thumb over Sam’s. “Before we go, can I do this, then?” Sam turned toward him, and Roberto planted a kiss on his lips, waiting until he felt Sam smile against him before he pulled away.

“Lead the way,” Roberto said, gesturing out to the gravel parking lot they’d found themselves in.

The diner was small, and it looked like it hadn’t been updated since the 70’s. An ambiguously sweet smell drifted through the air, and it was fairly busy, but it didn’t feel stressful; people chatted and waitresses poured coffee like they had nothing else to do. It was charming, in a way. Roberto could see why Sam liked it. 

Sam led him to a tiny red booth in the corner. As soon as his butt hit the seat, Roberto heard an excited gasp from behind them. “Sam?” came a voice.

Sam grinned as the woman approached. “Long time no see.”

The waitress-- whose name tag read Liz-- replied, “Sure has! What the hell have you been up to?” Her voice had the same twang as Sam’s, but a little stronger, more like Sam’s had been when he’d first came to Xavier’s.

“Oh, y’know,” Sam said, giving Roberto a look. Oh, it was so hard not to laugh. “School ‘n stuff.” It wasn’t _exactly_ a lie.

“Oh, that’s right. You sure got your father’s smarts,” Liz said, a proud smile on her face. She turned to Roberto. “Now who’s this?”

“This is, uh.” Sam gave Roberto a miniscule look that said _I’m sorry._ “This is my friend Roberto. He’s from school.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Liz said, heartily shaking Roberto’s hand. “Any friend of Sam’s is a friend of mine.”

“He is a good one, huh?” Roberto said, giving Sam a smirk. A blush tinted his ears. Mission accomplished.

The pancakes certainly lived up to Sam’s praise. Not that Roberto had expected anything less; his boyfriend knew his way around food. With how cold it was outside, it was nice to eat something hearty and warm.

When they got back to the truck, Roberto dramatically flopped into his seat, letting out a long sigh. Once Sam climbed in, he rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. “I could fall asleep right here.”

Sam gave him a playful shove. “Well, wake up, because we’ve got a hike to go on.”

Roberto sat up, giving Sam a stare. “ _Hike?_ Oh, I did not sign up for physical activity when I agreed to let you show me around.”

“Says the one with the super strength sun powers.” Sam rolled his eyes. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Sam took them to a spot about halfway between town and his home. Roberto gave many a dramatic sigh as they started their trek, but after a while, he had to admit that the trees’ fading greens mixed in with the array of oranges and golds was a pretty sight. Despite the frigid air.

Roberto ran his hands up and down his arms. “ _Wow_ , it’s cold. How do you live like this?”

Sam snorted. “Maybe you should have worn more than a hoodie? Like I told you?”

Roberto crossed his arms, a blush rising to his cheeks. He hid his face in his shoulder in an attempt to hide it from Sam. “Maybe.”

“Fine, maybe I do feel a little bad for you.” Sam unzipped his jacket, shrugging it off. “Here.”

“That’s very chivalrous of you, but won’t you be cold?” Roberto asked, taking the jacket that was being shoved into his arms. Sam now only wore a t-shirt and flannel.

“Nah, I’m not as weak as you are,” Sam teased.

“Shut up, I didn’t choose to grow up with perfect weather,” Roberto bantered back. He couldn’t help a smile as he pulled on the jacket. It was a little big on him, and Sam’s scent probably made him feel warmer than the jacket himself.

He was definitely not going to tell Sam that he could have just used his powers to warm himself up.

They walked for a few more minutes, or maybe a few more hours, Roberto couldn’t tell. At some point his and Sam’s fingers had become intertwined and he’d kind of stopped caring about how long this little excursion went on.

It had been a while, though.

“So,” Roberto said, breaking the silence. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

“We’re almost there, actually.” He brushed away a stray branch. “You’re gonna love the view, trust me.”

“Already do,” Roberto said, giving Sam a quick peck on the cheek.

“You are disgustingly romantic, Roberto da Costa,” Sam muttered. Oh, Roberto did love making him blush.

Soon, they reached a break in the trees, and Sam said, “Here it is.” He gestured out to the expanse of mountains below them, a blend of fall browns and oranges and greens contrasting against the open blue sky. They seemed to go on forever, fading out into the horizon until Roberto couldn’t tell what were mountains and what were clouds in the distance. It really was breathtaking, and Roberto suddenly felt honored that Sam had thought to take him here.

“I love it, Sam,” Roberto murmured, squeezing his hand.

“I’m glad,” Sam replied, turning to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead. Roberto both loved and hated that he was the perfect height for it. Sam didn’t quite pull back all the way, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Roberto for a long few seconds.

“Y’know, that jacket looks really good on you.”

Roberto leaned up to meet Sam’s lips, drawing out a long, deep kiss, then another, then another. Sam draped his arms across Roberto’s shoulders, sighing into his mouth, relaxing into him. Roberto pulled back for a moment, resting their foreheads together.

“I love you,” he murmured. He planted his hands on Sam’s hips and gave him one more lingering kiss, then turned to rest his head on Sam’s shoulder and gaze out into the mountains again.

Sam ran his thumb over Roberto’s in a steady rhythm. “Love you too.”

* * *

Later, after a hearty home-cooked meal from Mrs. Guthrie, Sam took Roberto’s hand once more.

“C’mon. There’s one more thing I want to show you.”

As Sam dragged him out the door again, Roberto shivered. “Outside? _Now?_ The sun’s not even out anymore.”

Sam smiled. “Exactly. The stars out here are amazing, since there’s no light pollution or anything.”

“Oh my God. Are we seriously going to sit out here and look at the stars? And you called _me_ disgustingly romantic.” Sam led him back over to the battered old truck and let down the tailgate, climbing inside and inviting Roberto to join him.

“There’s blankets and stuff back here in case you get cold,” Sam said, sitting against the back of the truck bed. Roberto sat down beside him, pulling up a blanket and curling into him.

They sat in silence, gazing up at the dark sky. It still broke Roberto’s mind a little to think that they’d been up there, among the stars. After a while, Roberto gave in and started using his powers to warm himself up. Sam turned to him, frowning.

“Wait, you can use your powers to warm up? And you never told me?” Sam laughed. “I let you have my favorite jacket earlier!”

Roberto shrugged, smirking. “It was a comfy jacket.”

Sam snorted. “I love you so much.” He curled into Roberto, enjoying the warmth. “You need to do this more often.”

At some point, Sam dozed off, his breathing slowing to a steady rhythm and his body relaxing into Roberto’s. Roberto breathed a sigh of relief; as much as he loved Sam, he was not going to stay out here all night. He carefully eased himself out of the truck, carrying Sam with him and trying not to wake him up.

It was much easier when you had super strength sun powers.

As he tiptoed into the house with Sam in his arms, he passed by Mrs. Guthrie in the living room, reading a book by the fire. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. Roberto paused, and she nodded at him, giving him a warm smile. It was almost a nod of approval.

Roberto smiled back, then realized she couldn’t see it while he was powered up. Instead, he tried to get his eyes to smile as much as he could. Mrs. Guthrie gave him a wink, and then went back to her book as if nothing had happened.

As Roberto curled himself around Sam in their bed, for the first time he felt like Sam’s home was his home too.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading! :) find me on tumblr [@samberto](https://samberto.tumblr.com)


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